El Hermo's Movie Recommendations 4

And so, I have returned to the main blog after a loss of faith in its ultimate scope. Faceblogging, while reaching more people who care, is hollow and meaningless.

Therefore, without further ado, the latest installment of El Hermo's Movie Recommendations:

I've seen some cool movies this last month:

1) Volver - Pedro Almodovar is, for those of you who don't know, the quintissential Spanish filmmaker. His latest movie, "Volver", which means coming back, is an intriguing tale about family, life and death. Penelope Cruz is awesome in this film, and there is a standout part where she lipsyncs a really moving song. I like spanish music, and hence, the lipsyncing isn't really a problem because the song really does kick ass!

2) Note on a Scandal - your classic, messed up, british chick flick with Judi Dench as a psychotic vampiric geriatric who feeds off the life forces of younger woman in order to make herself happy. Its an excellent film with brilliant performance from Dench, Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy, who more and more is beginning to seem like a legendary actor. If you feel like a thriller/soap opera of real quality, then i highly recommend this one.

3) Marie Antoinette - I've said this to plenty people and i'll say it again...Marie Antoinette is a Tommy Hilfiger advert set in 18th century France. Aesthetically, its in a class of its own - breathtaking cinematography, awesome costumes - its an accurate depiction of the Bourbon Dynasty in all its unadulterated decadence and laziness. Falls flat substance wise, but I thought it was pretty sweet.

4) Babel - If you've seen "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams", you will know that Inarritu follows a certain formula. This is also evident in Babel, which can be understood as an application of Inarritu's formula on a global scale. Even with its typically overblown moments of despair, Babel is an intriguing film. The portion of it set in Japan is excellent, but I do feel that it tries to be too political in the other segments. All in all, excellent but formulaic.

5) Lost in Translation - Watched it for the second time this week, and feel in love with it properly. Besides for the outstanding performance, Coppola captures the essence of what it means to be alone in an alien environment, but also how unexpected relationships can be forged in these places. These relationships enable the individual to see new environments in a refreshing manner, and this is what ultimately enhances the experience of being in completely different and foreign environments. The soundtrack rocks too. Lost in Translation rules.